Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

[DanFen]

Hi everyone,

I'm an IT guy (not exactly an electronics guy), but I've been trying to learn more about the electronics side of things. It's just that I like the subject

I have had very good help in this forum with troubleshooting circuit boards, and I must say, there is still A LOT to learn. Some of the help provided here would have been much easier if I had a bench PSU, both for me and to those using their time to teach me.

So the question is, what bench PSU do you recommend for a beginner and why? I mostly work on laptop boards and occasionally on TV boards.

Thanks

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

What is the highest voltage do you think you might need

[DanFen]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

For laptops I would say 20V max. No idea for TVs, I suspect that would be more.

What is the highest voltage do you think you might need

[dicky96]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

H I have two and they are both very useful

You want variable voltage out and variable current limit

Many of them are 0-30V 0-5A and I find that enough for most jobs

I have one same as this though and mine is 5 Amp. When I buy another (never can have enough of these things lol) I would get a 10 amp one. I can only think of one occasion I needed more than 30V

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-30V-10...FydZGXCb6x_gXg

The other one I have is looks exactly like this one which is a switching supply but mine is slightly lower rated dual 0-30V 3A plus 5V 3A and is a linear supply
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rapid-HY3...cAAOSwGF5eFXxh

I got mine second hand from an amateur radio rally a few years back for 65 GBP in the UK

I use that more than the other one. It is dual 0-30V 0-3A but you can set it to use both supplies in series or parallel or independent so you can have 0-30V 6A (parallel) or 0-60V 3A (series). Also it an do +0-30V 0V -0-30V for dual rail plus/minus supply

In additional is has a third fixed 5V Supply.

The ability of being able to do split rail plus-0-minus supply or having three independant supplies (two 0-30V variable and one fixed 5V) has proved indispensable for repair work. I do mostly TV/Monitor, motherboards and some amplifiers. If you can find one like this second hand for a decent price buy it.

Rich

[DanFen]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

The second one is a little bit out of my budget, especially since I'm still a beginner.

The first one, price wise, is OK. However, I noticed it's unbranded Is that OK?

[Harvey]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

These https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HANMATEK-...-/274269251145 are good for the price

[dicky96]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

The second one is a little bit out of my budget, especially since I'm still a beginner.

The first one, price wise, is OK. However, I noticed it's unbranded Is that OK?

Those same PSU sometimes have differing brand names on them but I think they are all made in the same factory. I've had mine about three years and it's been fine. Pay with paypal and you can buy with confidence

The other dual supply I found one second hand for 65 pounds I think it was. Had it about 5 years and no issues with it. Look around for a used one maybe.

[paulo66]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

I got one of those triple psus. I don't know the oem but this one is branded uni-t, and it's been very reliable over the years. A bit bulky but hey it's linear. I've heard newer smps aren't as good for finding dead shorts, because they will go into auto-protect mode.

[stj]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

Uni-Trend make their own stuff - it's not rebranded.

[paulo66]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

Good to know.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

I've heard newer smps aren't as good for finding dead shorts, because they will go into auto-protect mode.

That depends on how well the bench switching power supply are made because I have one and what I do not like about it is that for some reason it always shows a 170 milliamperes load no matter what but it does not seem to affect the use of it and I short circuit it by putting the output leads together at full 10 amps the output shows 10 amps and very little voltage

But I have to agree with you that to me the linear bench power supply are better in being able torcher them to hell and back because I have done it and only one time I messed up one of my bench power supply by testing a ignition coil and trying to get it to spark an fried the over voltage diode that I had to replace and the two LED indicator light for the voltage and current the one for the voltage was already having issues anyway after replacing those items everything worked correctly on this bench power supply

[paulo66]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

Interesting. Was the unit out of calibration, or were the minimum 170mA by design?

I was thinking about trading my uni-t for an smps if it could deal with dead shorts, it looks the uni-t is worth more than what I had thought. Mine is the utp3704s model. The red one.

[paulo66]

Re: Bench PSU - Your Suggestions

I think it's better built than another one branded Circuit Specialists. Whether that is OEM´d or a ripoff is anyone´s guess. The Uni-T´s entire backpanel is a heatsink vs. the CS´s two fans. So it´s also quiet as a mouse. Compare that to https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1342932699 . Scroll for the review with pictures of its innards.